Master the Trading Value Rule in Sales: How to Secure Meetings and Close Deals with Value-Driven Strategies

Are you struggling to secure that first meeting or get a follow-up? The secret might be simpler than you think—it's all about trading value.

The reason you may have trouble getting a first meeting or confirming a second meeting is almost certainly because you are missing something. The reason your contacts reject a first meeting, a second meeting, or the next step in your sales conversation is because you are not trading value for their time.

Maximize Client Engagement with the Trading Value Rule

The trading value rule requires you to trade value for your client’s time and attention. I am a pragmatist, so many of my strategies are direct and practical. If you want to secure a meeting undeterred by your client, you should tell them how they will benefit from the conversation.

The average salesperson will ask the client for a meeting to introduce themselves and their company. Those words don’t contain anything that might benefit the contact.

A salesperson armed with the trading value rule can explain what the client will receive in exchange for their time. Here is how I set a meeting: “My name is Anthony Iannarino, with B2B, and I am calling you to ask you for a 25-minute meeting to share our fourth-quarter executive briefing and the four trends that we are monitoring and their implications. Even if there is no next step, I will leave you with the briefing to share with your team.”

Let me unpack this. I asked for 25 minutes, which reduces the risk for the client. I offered an executive briefing about trends and their implications, as this is valuable for the contact and their team. The part where I said “even if there is no next step” is a second risk reversal, making it easier to say yes. This is a simple yet sophisticated strategy, as the value to the client is clear and they don’t risk much by committing 25 minutes to learn the four trends and their implications.

Utilizing the Trading Value Rule for Follow-Up Meetings

Having handled the first meeting, you would do well to use the same strategy to lock down a second meeting. You have to trade value for the second meeting to be assured that your client will agree to meet with you again. What I tend to offer is a conversation to elaborate on what is working and what is no longer working in the client’s industry. Because you have delivered the value you promised in the first meeting, you make it easier for your client to trust you with their time.

If you are selling into enterprise-level sales pursuits, you are going to need to identify and acquire a set of contacts who will be able to weigh in on who they want to choose as the partner to help them with their change initiative. If you struggle to identify or acquire the contacts you need, it may be because your sales champion doesn’t understand the importance of inviting them into the conversation. You might say something like, “Who on your team is going to weigh in on the decision? It can be difficult for your team to agree to the decision if they were not included.” My risk reversal is to promise the sales champion that she will maintain the decision-making and that I will work with her directly.

The Lost Art of Closing: Master the 10 Commitments in Sales

In The Lost Art of Closing you will find 10 commitments, each of which needs a value trade to confirm the next commitment.

1.) The commitment for time (first meeting)

2.) The commitment to explore (second meeting)

3.) The commitment to change

4.) The commitment to collaborate

5.) The commitment to consensus

6.) The commitment to invest

7.) The commitment to review

8.) The commitment to resolve concerns,

9.) The commitment to decide, and

10.) The commitment to execute.

It is increasingly difficult to acquire a first meeting. The salesperson that can only talk about their company, their clients, and their solution is likely to fail to secure a second meeting, due to the fact that they didn’t deliver anything that created value for the client. You should take an expansive view of the trading value rule.

This structure of the 10 commitments may not be linear. But as long as you articulate the promise and deliver the value on every one of them, you will have a greater chance of acquiring the next commitment and winning the client’s business.

Conclusion: Gain Sales Commitments by Trading Value

When you ask for a commitment from your prospective client, you will do better by following The Trading Rule, as the client feels as if they are getting something that will help them pursue the better results they are seeking. This approach of asking for a commitment followed by the value to the client will allow you to lead your client through their buyer’s journey, something you must know better than your client does.

To drive sales, practice this strategy and eventually master gaining all 10 commitments. Do good work, and I will see you tomorrow.